I remember playing a version of this on the commodore 64 as a young teenager and I'm sure my memory has faded but this appears to stick very closely to the original, and is a fantasticly nostalgic trip for those who have played it before. For those that haven't it has a broad appeal that will entertain those from 7 to 77 O.K the game is very simple, the graphics are adequate, and the storyline stretches the bounds of even Pirates of the Caribbean, but herein lies the games' strength, no complex tutorial, no beginner's levels, as soon as you are ready to set sail you are in the game, and the game is far less linear then many of its modern contempories. will you chase down the other legendary pirates, Will you stay loyal to your crown and flag and achieve the ranks of baron and beyond, will you trade accross the caribbean, or plunder all that cross your path, many other routes await, or can be combined, the choice is yours and I find myself coming back to this game again and again, to try new tactics or plans. The ship to ship combat is simple but very effective, fire too many shells at the treasure ship before you board and watch them gold sovereigns sink to the ocean floor, or board and go blade to blade with the captain as your men fight bravely in the background, all very satisfying, and addictive. Now there are two reasons I didn't give this 5 out of 5 the first is the annoying habit the game has of retiring you, you can choose to retire at certain points and the game cleverly tells the story of what became of you, after retiring, whether you married, settled down to enjoy your riches etc. But sometimes you divide your wealth and it does this for you, for example I was 42, the richest pirate on the ocean, still with many quests, and I divided my cash between the crew and it retired me, permanently! Also, the hand to hand combat is a little tricky, and a little vague, you find yourself holding back from boarding because the duel may not go your way through no fault of your own. But these problems sound worse than they are and indeed the fencers amongst us will probably relish the challenge! Well worth the download me heartys! So splice the main brace and head for the ocean all you land lubbers out there!!!

Read all the reviews on the game